Chips, creek water and Take Me Home, Country Roads: how an Australian teenager survived six nights in the bush
William, 17, says ‘nights were pretty cold’ and he ‘honestly didn’t think’ he’d survive A teenage boy who survived almost a week lost in dense Australian bushland sang John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads as he held out hope of rescue on long nights alone in the wilderness. William, whose surname has been withheld, was dropped off by his mother for the weekend to camp with his friend in…
A 17-year-old Australian boy, whose surname is withheld, survived six nights in dense bushland after becoming lost. The teenager was dropped off by his mother for a weekend camping trip in Victoria's east with a friend but failed to return from a trip to retrieve more equipment. Police launched an extensive search involving over 100 people, including police dog and rescue squads.
William was found on Thursday morning lying in a creek near Walhalla, 130km east of Melbourne, after slipping and falling down a cliff. He told the Sunrise program that he had a childhood favorite, John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads," which brought him comfort during the ordeal. William shared an emotional reunion with his mother, Elizabeth Barkley, who was "over the moon" and he was "never leaving the house again."
Barkley said she knew her son was still alive and was just praying, and praying, and praying. William was taken to a hospital in Traralgon for observation and testing after suffering from dehydration.
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